Learning To Live Again
by Jennifer Hart
Summary: Challenge 18 and a crossover with Twice In A Lifetime. When a hostage situation goes horribly wrong, an NCIS agent is offered a second chance. But will he take it? COMPLETE.
1. The Bullet

**Title:** **Learning To Live Again**

**Author: Special Agent Meg**

**Rating: PG (Contains violence)**

**Classification: Supernatural/Drama, Crossover**

**Spoilers: Kill Ari II, Enigma, Honor Code, Under Covers, and Hiatus**

**Disclaimers: If I owned them, Twice In A Lifetime wouldn't have gone whacked the way it did the second season and Gibbs would be back at NCIS where he belongs.**

**Summary: Challenge #18 and a crossover with Twice In A Lifetime. When a hostage situation goes horribly wrong, an NCIS agent is offered a second chance. But will he take it?**

**A/N: First of all – we know that Gibbs will be coming back to NCIS – so I'm dispensing with that nonsense and setting this story in Spring, 2007. Secondly, on the series Twice In A Lifetimethe younger and older versions of the person were played by different actors. Since I can't do that, I will refer to present-day time-travelling Gibbs as Gibbs, and his 1991 self as Gunny.**

"I saw something like that on TV last week."

The speaker's partner flashed an automatic in his direction. "For the last time, I'm warning you. SHUT UP!"

Gibbs watched the exchange uneasily from his seat on the floor across the room. The second gunman's agitation was growing. It was only a matter of time before he pulled the trigger. Only a matter of time before an eight-year-old girl would be forced into a world of nightmares and counselling and a loss of what childhood was supposed to be. For the fortieth time in the last hour, Gibbs sent up a silent, desperate prayer.

He was pretty sure his team was out in the parking lot with the negotiators. Until the radio on the counter had been shot, the newscaster had been eager to babble about the two gunmen and the six people they were holding hostage at the medical facility on the Naval Base. The fifty-year-old Corpsman Gibbs had come to see as part of the follow-up on a case he was about to close. The man's secretary, a female midshipman barely out of high school. A dark-haired man in his late twenties, dressed in a Petty Officer's uniform. A JAG lawyer in her thirties, bringing her eight-year-old daughter in for a check-up. And a 46-year-old, recently un-retired NCIS agent.

Gibbs had tried to start up a dialogue with the men twice. Both attempts had ended with him lying semi-conscious on the floor, his head throbbing from the blows from the gun barrel. The sight had effectively discouraged the other hostages from making a similar effort.

Then it happened. The ring of the telephone jarred through the silence. All six hostages flinched, as did the finger on the trigger. A second later, the gunman's partner slid lifelessly to the ground.

Screams erupted from the wall of hostages. The eight-year-old child made a terrified run for the door. The gun swung around.

"NO!" Gibbs dove forward, catching the child around the waist and taking her to the floor as a second gunshot echoed behind him.

A second later, another shot ripped through the glass, taking the surviving gunman to the ground. Then the doors burst open and men with federal acronyms on their jackets rushed in. a brown-haired man in an NCIS jacket rushed over to where Gibbs lay motionless on the floor.

"Boss!" He turned him over, his knee resting in the middle of the pool of blood. Gibbs' blue eyes stared unseeingly up at the ceiling. "No, Boss," the younger man whispered. "Don't do this."

"What's done is done," the young man in the petty-officer's uniform said softly. "That's why I'm here."

TBC…


	2. The Sentence

**Okay, here's Part 2. I'll try and post the next installment next week. **

**Re: Shannon and Kelly – that was my original intent when I planned the crossover, unfortunately the season finale changed my plans. I'll see what I can do, though.**

**Re: Is Gibbs dead? Well, my answer to that would depend on why you're asking. If you're wondering if the gunshot was fatal, the answer is yes.**

**And, regarding the name – yes I did see that movie and the choice was deliberate:)**

The first thing Gibbs noticed was the door. It stood attached to nothing across the tiled floor. From what Gibbs could tell, there were no walls, anywhere.

"Do not tell me I'm in another coma," he muttered.

"You're not in another coma," a voice came from behind him. Gibbs turned to see the dark-haired petty Officer, now dressed in a black suit and offering him a crooked smile.

"Well, this isn't the hospital, and I know I was shot," Gibbs replied. The man just shrugged and nodded in the direction of the door.

"This way."

Gibbs followed him into another room, this one surrounded by columns. An old man sat behind a judges' table at the far end of the room. The dark-haired man led Gibbs over until they were standing about 15 feet away from the judge, at which point they stopped. Gibbs could see the nameplate read "Judge Othniel."

"Mr. Jones!" The sound of the old man's voice seemed to echo and Gibbs jumped, slightly. "And Jethro Gibbs?"

"Yes, sir," Gibbs replied.

"Jethro…" Judge Othniel mused. "I've got an old friend here by that name. Well, actually, he was before my time, but we've become well-acquainted since then." There was something about the words that caused an uneasy feeling to form in the pit of Gibbs' gut.

"Your Honor, Mr. Gibbs was a faithful, Churchgoing man who served his country for 23 years – first as a Marine and then with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service," Mr. Jones said. Judge Othniel smiled.

"Ah, yes, NCIS. You briefly retired from there last year, didn't you?" the older man asked.

"Yes, Your Honor," Gibbs answered. In retrospect, it seemed pretty stupid to think that he could have ever lasted at retirement. He figured now that he'd be at NCIS until the day he—"

"Judge Othniel…from the Old Testament." Gibbs looked up at the older man. "Am I dead?"

"Well, on Earth at least. I believe your friend Ducky would clock it at 4:02." The judge gave him a little grin. "Just in case you wanted to ask."

Gibbs shook his head. "The gunshot," he said softly. Then his eyes lit up. "Shannon…Kelly. Do I get to see them?"

"Well, hold on just a moment," Judge Othniel looked over the edge of his glasses. "You had three divorces, as I recall?"

"All of which were the result of marital unfaithfulness," Mr. Jones quickly interjected."

"Yes." Judge Othniel looked thoughtful. "You also had something of a reputation for being slightly cocky, particularly in your Marine Corps days."

Gibbs winced. "Yes, sir," he admitted honestly. It was something he wasn't proud of, but he couldn't deny.

The judges' voice was soft. "In fact, your cockiness actually got another Marine killed. Your Company XO?"

Gibbs felt the color drain from his face as an image formed to the left of the judge. It showed Gibbs as a young gunnery sergeant, crouched behind a cement wall with Lt. Cameron, his Company XO.

"_Gunny, I don't know about this," Lt. Cameron said._

"_Sir, it's clear. I checked," the young gunny replied._

"But it wasn't clear, was it?" Othniel asked.

"No, it wasn't," Gibbs said quietly. "There was an Iraqi sniper team in the next building. They were behind the remains of a stairwell. I didn't check there because…" his voice trailed off.

"Because?" Othniel prodded.

"Because I'd checked it when I first went in," Gibbs admitted. "I checked behind the stairs, went up the other staircase and checked the upstairs, and when I didn't see anyone I ran back to the second staircase and out the door without checking the first stairs again."

"Even though it had been 10 minutes since you entered and you were back at the other end of the building?"

Gibbs nodded. "Yes."

"Tell me, Mr. Gibbs," Othniel inquired. "Did you think at all about checking the other stairwell a second time?"

"Yes," Gibbs said honestly. "I thought about it as I was exiting the building. But I reasoned that if there had been anyone they would have heard me leaving and made a move then. So I chose not to check a second time."

"You chose not to check a second time," Othniel repeated.

Gibbs nodded. "Yes, sir."

"And in fact, the snipers did hear you, and chose to bide their time in hopes of ambushing your whole team."

"Your Honor," Mr. Jones interjected. "The military inquiry cleared my client of any responsibility because, as he said, it would have been logical that the team would have heard him when he ran down the stairs."

"Mr. Jones," Othniel said with a tolerant smile. "You know as well as I do that the legal standards on Earth are different than ours."

"Then, Your Honor, I would like to enter into evidence Jethro Gibbs' own words from three years ago," Mr. Jones requested.

"You mean, these words?" Another image appeared next to Othniel. Gibbs, in a warehouse, arguing with Colonel Will Ryan, he and Lt. Cameron's former CO.

_"Trust you! You mean like the Lieutenant trusted you?" Col. Ryan asked. "Or have you forgotten Lt. Cameron?"_

"_No, sir!" Gibbs' response was immediate and full of emotion. "No I have not forgotten him. I think about him every night!"_

"I remember those words too, Mr. Jones," Othniel said. "And that's why, I have decided to order a Life Sentence."

Mr. Jones smiled broadly, but Gibbs looked at the judge in confusion. "I'm sorry?" he asked.

"You will have three days, and three days only," Othniel said firmly. "You will go back with all your memories intact. No one will recognize you. You are a free agent in the universe, with the blessing of God Almighty…" Othniel slammed his gavel. "And His court!"

OOOOOOOOOO

"Commander Worth!" The young officer had to scream to be heard over the sound of the helicopter blades. "Commander Worth!"

With a start, Gibbs realized the man was talking to him. "What?"

"We should be landing in a couple of minutes, sir!"

"Thank you, but my name isn't Commander Worth!" Gibbs yelled back.

"It's what your nametag says, sir!" the young man replied.

"Name tag?" Gibbs looked down at the engraved tag on the front of his khakis. Sure enough, it read, "Commander Taylor Worth." He looked up again and caught sight of Mr. Jones' grin. Gibbs sighed.

"Never mind – I misheard you!" he shouted. The young Marine nodded.

Gibbs looked over at the angel, who was dressed in a black suit. He didn't even want to know the excuse Jones had used to get on the flight. Instead, he pointed to his own outfit.

"This is a Navy JAG uniform!" Gibbs said. Jones nodded. "Is this some kind of joke?"

"No. You're out here on a JAGMAN investigation."

"JAGMAN investigation?" Gibbs stared at him. "You've got to be kidding!"

"Nope. But if I were you, I'd save the rest of your questions till later," Jones warned him.

Gibbs frowned. "Why?"

"Because, when I wear this suit, you're the only one who can see or hear me!"

Gibbs turned back to see the Marine on his other side giving him a strange look. He groaned.

This was going to be an interesting three days.


	3. The Past

If I got the name of the vehicle wrong, I apologize. Civilian cars aren't my strong point, forget military ones. I also apologize for any errors made regarding combat conditions.

"Commander Worth! Col. Will Ryan."

Gibbs braced himself for a comment about how familiar he looked, but all the older man said was, "I assume Admiral Liukin gave you the details already?"

"Uh, he actually just gave me the Cliffs-Notes – said you'd fill me in on the dtails," Gibbs said quickly.

"Not much to tell beyond that, really." Ryan walked briskly towards the mess tent. "A Hum-Vee carrying four of my Marines had its brakes fail when they were trying to stop at a Kuwaiti checkpoint. Crashed straight into the blockade. 1 guard was killed – PFCs Heenan and Janssen sustained minor injuries.

Gibbs stopped short. He remembered the incident all too well from when it had happened, but something about the timing didn't seem right. He looked back at his former CO. "I'm sorry, sir, could you tell me today's date?"

The older man frowned. "January 29," he said, giving Gibbs a suspicious glance.

"International Date Line – always screws me up," Gibbs covered. Ryan nodded, satisfied, and Gibbs breathed an inward sigh of relief before mentally calculating the dates. Lt. Cameron had been killed on the 31st of January, so he still had some time.

"I assume you'll want to interview the Marines involved?" Ryan's voice broke into Gibbs' thoughts.

"Yes, sir. As soon as possible, beginning with the driver," Gibbs answered.

"They're all off duty right now. Gunnery Sergeant Gibbs — the one who was driving — headed for his tent about a half hour ago. Heenan and Janssen are in the Mess, and Lt. Cameron's over there, by the tank."

"Which tent is Gunnery Sergeant Gibbs in?" Gibbs managed to keep a straight face while referring to himself in the third person, but just barely.

"Tent 18 — 2:00." Gibbs nodded and saluted his former CO before heading in that direction.

His cot had been one of those closest to the tent flap, a mixed blessing. On the one hand, it offered some degree of privacy, on the other you noticed every time someone entered or left the tent. Which was why the young Gunny looked up almost immediately as Gibbs pushed open the tent flap.

The next thing Gibbs knew, he was looking himself in the eye and being saluted. The whole eeriness of the situation prompted Gibbs to quickly say, "At ease, Gunny."

"Aye, sir." Gunny's eyes went briefly to the ground, where a piece of paper had fallen. Gibbs smiled.

"Letter from home?"

"Yes, sir." Gunny's face relaxed into a brief smile. "My daughter sent me a story she wrote for school – got an A."

Gibbs struggled to fight back the sudden tears that threatened to overwhelm him. He remembered getting that letter. "What grade?" he asked softly, even though he knew the answer.

"She just got skipped into second."

Gibbs nodded. "They're wonderful at that age."

"You have children, sir?" Gunny asked.

"I...I used to," Gibbs managed. His younger self flashed him a look of sympathy.

"I'm sorry, sir."

The irony made Gibbs feel sick and he shook his head, trying to focus. "I'm sorry," he replied. "Commander Taylor Worth, JAG Corps."

The look in Gunny's eyes was one of resignation. "This is about the collision at the checkpoint."

Gibbs nodded. "Yes, it is."

"Sir, I don't know what to tell you. One minute those brakes were fine and the next, it was like there was nothing there!"

"Easy, Gunny." Gibbs remembered that moment all too well. "Why don't you start at the beginning?"

Gunny took a deep breath. "We were on our way back from a patrol. Lt. Cameron, PFC Heenan, PFC Janssen, and me. I was driving. We'd had to go through that same checkpoint earlier that day, so I was watching for it." He snorted. "Not that it's particularly hard to miss in the desert. Anyway, the checkpoint came into view and I went to slow down as we got closer."

"_What on_—"_ Gunny looked down at the brake and shoved frantically with his foot. "Come on!"_

"_What are you doing, Gunny?" Cameron's voice came from behind him. "Slow down!"_

"_I'm trying, sir!" Gunny yelled back. "The brakes aren't working!"_

"_What do you mean_—" _Cameron broke off. "The checkpoint!"_

"We hit a few seconds later." The young Marine's eyes were distant. "One of the guards was crushed between the vehicle and part of the structure. And you know what happened after that."

"Yeah." The look in the guard's eyes and his dying scream had haunted Gibbs' nightmares for months. "I know."

"Sir—Janssen even tried pressing the brakes with his hand. It didn't do any good."

Gibbs nodded. "But they were fine when you started the trip."

"Yes, sir." Gunny's voice was emphatic.

"Did you try and swerve at all? See if you could avoid hitting the checkpoint?" Gibbs remembered the answer even before Gunny replied.

"At first all I could think about was the brakes. When I did yank the wheel..." He took a deep breath. "The guard was trying to run out of the way."

Gibbs knew the answer to his next question too, but he had to ask it anyway. "Who checked the vehicle before you started the drive?"

Gunny looked him straight in the eye. "Me."

OOOOOOOOOOO

"I wish I had an answer for you." Lt. Cameron looked Gibbs in the eye. "But I don't."

His first day back and Gibbs had already managed to talk to both himself and a dead man. He supposed he was doing well.

"Did you notice any problems with the brakes prior to the drive?" Gibbs asked. The XO shook his head.

"I didn't check them, Commander. That was Gunnery Sergeant Gibbs' responsibility. You would have to ask him," Lt. Cameron said firmly.

"But you're the Company XO. Don't you occasionally double-check?" Gibbs inquired. The response was emphatic.

"Exactly, sir. I'm the XO, not a babysitter. When I give a Marine an assignment, especially in combat, I trust them to fulfill their responsibilities."

There was no trace of malice in the words, but Gibbs felt the sting anyway. "I'm sure you've had a few who didn't fulfill their responsibilities," he said quietly.

"That type doesn't last long in the Corps, sir," Lt. Cameron replied. "Especially out here."

_They do when someone else pushes them out of the way and takes the bullet,_ Gibbs thought bitterly. Aloud, he asked, "Has Gunnery Sergeant Gibbs been one of those who did fulfill his responsibilities that you gave him?"

Lt. Cameron looked Gibbs directly in the eye again. "I don't like what you're insinuating, Commander."

"I don't insinuate, Lieutenant," Gibbs answered.

"Sir, those brakes were dead." Lt. Cameron's voice was resolute. "I checked them myself after the incident.

"You didn't answer my question," Gibbs said. Lt. Cameron sighed and Gibbs stared at him. "Lieutenant? Was Gunnery Sergeant Gibbs one of those who met his responsibilities?"

"Most of the time, yes, sir."

"Most of the time," Gibbs repeated.

"Sir, the Gunny can be a little cocky sometimes," Lt. Cameron admitted. "He doesn't like going back to double-check, especially if he feels he did the job correctly the first time."

The words were true, but that didn't make them any easier to hear. "Have you spoken to him about it?"

"Yes, sir. But he's never done it in a situation that really mattered," Lt. Cameron said firmly.

"I'd say this case matters, Lieutenant," Gibbs said sternly.

"You don't know that was the case," Lt. Cameron protested.

Gibbs looked him in the eye. "You don't know that it wasn't."

OOOOOOOOOOOO

"Sir, I shoved that brake with my hand for all I was worth. There was no resistance."

PFC Chris Janssen's posture was stiff and he breathed gingerly. White gauze was taped to the side of his head and a makeshift sling encased his wrist. All were the result of being projected sideways against the dashboard as he made a futile shove at the brake pedal. Gibbs still admired the man's quick thinking.

"Did you try the brakes at all prior to the trip?" Gibbs asked. Janssen shook his head.

"No, Gunnery Sergeant Gibbs did that."

"Did you ever see someone near the vehicle who shouldn't have been?"

"No, sir. I mean, there was a short while when none of us were with it, in the village." Janssen shrugged. "But I didn't actually see anyone."

"Do you have any idea why I...why Gunner Sergeant Gibbs didn't attempt to swerve earlier?" Gibbs sincerely wished he could put Jones in a JAG uniform and send him on some of the interviews. Trying to ask about himself in the third person was feeling more and more awkward with every question.

"Sir, the whole thing took me by surprise and I wasn't driving." Janssen's voice was matter-of-fact. "Is there something the Gunny could have done differently that would have changed what happened? I don't know. Maybe."

"Private, I know it's easy for me to say this looking at the situation when it's over and I'm not actually there," Gibbs said quietly.

Janssen gave a half smile. "Too bad life doesn't let you go back and try again."

**TBC**


	4. The Choice

Sorry this has taken so long. I've been in the middle of some family stuff that has affected my writing opportunities. Things have thankfully resolved now somewhat and I should have the conclusion for you next week with no problem.

"Interesting approach you're taking," Jones remarked.

It was late in the evening of the second day. Gibbs gave a brief glance in the angel's direction, noting that he was now sporting Marine fatigues as he approached, but didn't say anything. The angel smiled.

"It's okay to talk to me, you know. I'm not wearing the black suit, so everyone can see me." Gibbs didn't answer, and Jones' eyes sparkled. "Not willing to take my word for it, huh?" Gibbs gave a slight shake of his head and Jones chuckled. "Okay then, if you insist."

Jones stepped away and walked towards a group of young Marines, all wearing lower insignias than the "Lieutenant" on Jones' cammies. Immediately the group snapped to attention with brisk salutes.

"At ease." Jones returned the salute before walking back over to where Gibbs was standing. Smiling slightly, Gibbs offered a salute as well.

"That make you feel better?" Jones inquired.

"Much."

"Well then." The angel leaned against the vehicle behind them. "Now that that's out of the way. What is it exactly that you're trying to do?"

Gibbs stared at him. "Excuse me?"

"So far you've talked to Lt. Cameron, Col. Ryan, PFCs Heenan and Janssen, and Kuwaiti authorities. In the process, you've managed to build a pretty good case against yourself as being responsible for the collision at the checkpoint." Jones tilted his head slightly. "Now how is any of that going to help you in that building tomorrow?"

"You learn from your mistakes." Gibbs' voice was matter-of-fact. Jones' eyes twinkled.

"Mrs. Reinheller, your eighth-grade homeroom teacher." Gibbs nodded. "You were thought to be one of her most hopeless students ever."

"Uh-huh." A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I spent almost every night after school that year in her detention room. Every time she'd come up with some kind of rule that fit whatever I'd screwed up on and I'd write the sucker out 100 times."

"'Don't believe you're infallible.' 'When you need to ask for help—ask.' 'Don't fight a problem—overcome it,'" Jones recited. Gibbs chuckled.

"But it worked. Once I had the rule, I never made the same mistake again." Gibbs shrugged. "It didn't stop me from making others, but…"

"Your Rule 3 came from this incident, didn't it?" Jones said softly.

Gibbs nodded. "Never believe what you're told. Always double-check." He turned to face Jones. "Last time around the inquiry said this accident at the checkpoint wasn't my fault. Maybe if they had, I would have learned Rule Number 3 sooner."

"Maybe. And maybe you never would have been in the building in the first place." Jones' voice was sharp enough that Gibbs stared at him in surprise. "You can't make a choice if there is no choice, Jethro." He walked away, leaving Gibbs alone to ponder his words.

0

"Gunnery Sergeant Gibbs!" His younger self turned as Gibbs strode up to him. "I need to talk to you."

"Certainly, sir." Gunny looked slightly confused. "But I don't know what else I can tell you."

Gibbs looked his younger self in the eye. "You can tell me everything."

"Sir?"

"Everything you did on the vehicle walk-around, Gunny. From the beginning."

"I did everything on the checklist, sir," Gunny replied.

"Which is?"

"I walked around the vehicle. Checked the gas tank, the engine, steering mechanism, under the hood…"

"What about the brakes?"

"Yes, sir. They were working just fine," Gunny confirmed. "Even when I checked with my hand, the way we're supposed to."

"When was this?" Gibbs asked.

"About ten minutes before we were supposed to leave, sir," Gunny answered.

"Okay. What about the second time?"

"Uh, that would have been approximately ten minutes before we set out on the way back," Gunny said.

Gibbs nodded. "What did you do that time?"

"The same things, sir," Gunny replied.

"Everything?"

"Yes, sir."

"No shortcuts, no hesitations?" There was a pause. "Gunnery Sergeant?"

"The others came out before I was finished the hand check or looking under the hood the second time." He sounded tired, like he'd been thinking about it ever since. If Gibbs remembered correctly, he had. "I figured if there was a problem, I'd notice it right away when I started driving."

"You didn't double-check," Gibbs said quietly. "You took it for granted."

Gunny's voice was strained as he answered, "Yes, sir."

Gibbs nodded. "Thank you for your honesty, Gunnery Sergeant."

0

"What are you doing?"

Jones, still in his fatigues, leaned over to look underneath the vehicle that had caused the crash. Gibbs lay beneath it, tinkering away under the brake area with a wrench.

"Rule Number 8," Gibbs answered. The angel frowned.

"Rule Number 8?"

"Never take anything for granted," Gibbs continued his pursuit of the brake-lines. "It's something that came up while I was talking with myself."

"I thought the original investigation concluded 'Mechanical Failure,'" Jones remarked.

"They did, because everyone could see the brakes were out and because it had been put on the backburner after Lt. Cameron was killed. They never found…" Gibbs tugged at something before triumphantly pulling it free. "This."

He pulled himself out from underneath the vehicle and stood up, before handing the object to Jones. "Take a look."

"It's a grommet…a broken grommet."

"Uh-huh. But feel how heavy it is."

A smile spread across Jones' features.

0

Gunny tossed the grommet lightly in his palm. "Manufacturer's defect."

Gibbs nodded, "Or product tampering. Whatever you want to call it, this metal was not the right strength. I pulled it from the brake system."

"That's why the brakes didn't give out right away," Gunny said in recognition.

"Yeah, because it would have taken a little while before the stress became too much." Gibbs paused before adding quietly, "And you wouldn't have been able to see it."

Gunny's voice was barely audible. "So the fact that I didn't double-check wouldn't have changed anything."

"No. But Gunnery Sergeant," Gibbs put a hand on Gunny's shoulder and looked straight into his eyes, "You got lucky this time. Next time, the difference may come down to whether or not you choose to double-check. Remember that."

0

Gunnery Sergeant Gibbs hurried back down the hallway he'd just cleared and over to the staircase, breathing a sigh of relief. The abandoned buildings had become the bane of the Marines' existence lately, with several of them being taken over by Iraqi snipers. Every time they went inside a building to check it, there was always a risk of not coming back out.

He cluttered down the staircase and was almost out the door when he remembered. The remains of the second staircase across the room. He'd checked it when he first came into the building ten minutes earlier and it had been clear. Typical procedure recommended that when that type of interval had passed, it was prudent to check a second time.

For a moment, Gunny hesitated. He hadn't been particularly quiet during his search of the second floor, or his trip down the stairs. It seemed likely that if Iraqis had entered the building, they would have noticed and cut him down by now. He started towards the exit.

"_Next time, the difference may come down to whether you choose to double-check."_ Commander Worth's words from the day before floated back. _"Remember that."_

Gunny set his jaw firmly and moved towards the second staircase.

He was almost at the staircase when a sudden searing pain wove through his chest, cracking the right side of his rib cage before finding its way out through his shoulder blade. A second torrent slammed right underneath his sternum as he crumpled to the ground. The building around him flickered before fading into black.

0

"I'm telling you – you cannot PAY me to sit through that movie again!" Tony's voice carried over the dividers to where Gibbs stood next to the elevator.

The elevator. Gibbs looked around, registering his surroundings. NCIS headquarters. The date on the red scrolling marquee read "March 19, 2007." The day after the shooting at Little Creek. Or had there even been a shooting?

Gibbs shook his head. He had no idea how or what had happened, but he was apparently still alive. Slowly, he walked towards his team's desk area.

"You're saying that all three of the last three women you've dated chose to rent 'Monster-In-Law?'" Ziva giggled, then sobered her face as she caught sight of Gibbs. "Um…sorry."

"Don't' worry about it." Gibbs waved his hand absently. At that point, it was just a relief to be able to hear his team talking, regardless of the topic. Although… "Monster-In-Law?"

"It's a comedy about Jennifer Lopez and her mother-in-law, who's a total terror," Tony answered. "You ever see it, Boss?"

"Didn't need to. Living through it was more than enough," Gibbs answered. Tony started laughing.

"I wouldn't let Shannon hear you say that."

Gibbs' head came up with a start. Quickly, he stood up and walked over so that his face was mere inches from Tony's. "What did you just say?"

Tony stared at him, a mixture of fear and confusion on his face. "Boss, it was a joke…"

"If you ever, ever…"

"Hey, Dad!"

The clear voice ringing out across the bullpen sent Gibbs spinning around. _It couldn't be._

TO BE CONTINUED…


	5. The Difference

**Chapter 5: The Difference**

**FINALLY COMPLETED! I really hated to say goodbye to this story, since I've had so much fun with it, I kind of stalled with posting this. But here's the conclusion. It does contain a spoiler for the JAG eps Ice Queen and Meltdown and assumes that part of what happened on the JAG series finale didn't really happen.**

Coming towards them was a young woman dressed in the uniform of a Marine First Lieutenant. A woman in her early twenties. Strawberry blond hair pulled back in a chignon. Bright blue eyes that were shining in his direction. And a smile that lit up her face and was so very familiar.

Gibbs took an unconscious step towards her. Everything in him felt alive with hope as he whispered, "Kelly?"

"Sorry, I got caught up researching and lost track of time." Her voice was more mature, that of a woman instead of a child, but still unmistakably _her_.

"Kelly?" Gibbs repeated, his own voice shaking.

"Yes, Dad?" came the uncertain reply. Tears welled up in Gibbs' eyes and he stepped forward to do something he hadn't been able to do for 16 years and didn't think he'd ever get to do again. Jethro Gibbs reached out and pulled his daughter into a hug.

"Dad, you're crying." Kelly's voice was soft. "Is everything all right?" Gibbs hugged her again.

"Oh, sweetheart, everything is very all right." He stepped back slightly. "Let me look at you."

Kelly started smiling. "Dad, are you getting emotional because this is your first time seeing me as a JAG attorney in uniform?" She laughed and gave him a light slap on the shoulder. "And you were teasing Mom about that this morning!"

"Your Mom." Gibbs was overcome with a second wave of emotion. He shook his head, still smiling, and caught sight of Mr. Jones standing near the stairwell. The angel had a smile on his face and he nodded slightly. Gibbs looked back at his daughter.

"Kelly, wait here just one minute. There's someone I need to talk to."

Gibbs heard Kelly's worried voice as he started for the stairs, asking, "Tony, is he okay?"

"I don't know, Kel. He started acting kind of funny a few minutes ago." Gibbs just shook his head and approached the stairs.

"Shannon and Kelly...aren't dead," Gibbs said softly. The angel nodded and Gibbs shook his head in wonder. "How?"

"You chose to look a second time," Mr. Jones said simply. "And to quote Robert Frost, that made all the difference. The Iraqi snipers shot you twice—in the chest and abdomen—and you had to be airlifted out of Iraq to a European hospital. They notified Shannon and she and Kelly flew out. That was on January 31. And she didn't come back to the US until your condition stabilized enough for you to travel, almost three weeks later."

"But she saw Hernandez kill the Marine on February 12," Gibbs said slowly. Mr. Jones nodded.

"Since she wasn't in Oceanside to see the murder, Hernandez had no reason to want her dead. Now she works part-time as a 911 dispatcher and Kelly just started her first day at JAG." Jones winked. "Which is why she's here in the office. You're taking her out for lunch to celebrate."

Gibbs' eyes were still glistening. "Anything else?"

"Uh, you're also meeting Shannon at 3:30 at Ashwood Junior High, for a parent-teacher conference," Jones replied. Gibbs stared at him.

"I've got another child?"

"Two, actually. Lisa, who your wife got pregnant with just before you shipped out to Desert Storm, and Jack. He came along two years after Lisa and has been making your lives very interesting lately with the way he never does his homework."

"I don't know how to thank you for all this," Gibbs said softly. "But I'll remember it for the rest of my life."

"First of all, I didn't do anything. You did, by making the right choice," Jones told him. "Secondly, only if you plan on dying in the next few seconds. Once I'm gone, all you'll remember is your new life with Shannon and your children. And of course, Rule Number Eight."

"Never take anything for granted," Gibbs said hoarsely. "Never take _anything_ for granted."

0

"So I guess this means that you coming by the office won't always be a good thing anymore," Ziva joked. Kelly grinned.

"As long as Dad heads your team, you guys will be safe. I can't work anything he's worked because of conflict of interest. But the rest of the agents here..."

"Will mind their manners or they'll have me to deal with," Gibbs said smoothly as he rejoined the group. "Sorry about that. You ready to go?"

"Absolutely," Kelly said with a smile. "See you guys later."

"So how's your first day going?" Gibbs asked as they stepped into the elevator.

"Pretty good. Commander Rabb has me researching an old case." Kelly glanced at her father. "Isn't that the guy you…"

"Uh-huh," Gibbs said dryly. Kelly winced.

"That explains the look he gave me when he heard my name."

The elevator doors opened and they stepped out, noticing that a heavy rain had started. Kelly put her cover on her head and grimaced. "Should have grabbed my coat."

"You and me both," Gibbs answered. "Come on, let's make a run for it."

They still managed to get drenched by the time they reached Kelly's vehicle. As Kelly prepared to pull out of the parking lot, Gibbs asked, "So why are you looking into an old case?"

"You know that drug dealer who's coming up on trial for killing that Naval Corpsman?"

Gibbs nodded. "Pedro Hernandez—arrested last year.

"Looks like he also killed a Marine 16 years ago in Oceanside, California. That's the case I'm looking into."

Gibbs stared at his daughter. "We lived in Oceanside 16 years ago," he remarked.

Kelly nodded. "Yeah, when you were still in the Corps. I know. Creepy, isn't it? I mean, that could have been you or something."

Gibbs just shook his head, as the rain streamed against the car window.

THE END!


End file.
